Take our nation back

A group of black pastors from Detroit have filed a brief in the Michigan's same-sex marriage case now before the 6th Circuit. Put simply, they don't like us. They essentially said in their press conference: If you don't work against homosexuality like they do then you don't believe in God. It is "ignorant and myopic" to compare gay civil rights to black civil rights. Gays will "destroy the backbone of our society." And… "It's time to take our nation back."

Did you catch that last one? Do you remember who has been saying it the most lately? Yup, the Tea Party folks, who want to take the country back from the clutches of the black and brown folk. And now black people want to take the country back from gay people. Pardon my while I go find the off-switch for the Irony Alarm.



The latest in Idaho is that the 9th Circuit issued a stay on same-sex marriage. That happened in time to prevent any couples from actually getting married. This stay is in effect until the 9th Circuit decides what to do with the case. If they take it the stay would likely be extended.



The lower court judge in Arkansas fixed the problems with his ruling by mentioning the second law. Same-sex marriages resumed for a moment. Then state Supremes quickly issued a stay. Marriages stopped. It might be a year before they get to the case.



Ten years ago tomorrow same-sex couples in Massachusetts started getting marriage licenses and be able to legally wed. The timeline looks something like this:

2004 Massachusetts
2005
2006
2007
2008 Connecticut, California (come and gone)
2009 Iowa, Vermont, and Washington DC
2010 New Hampshire
2011 New York
2012 Maryland, Maine, Washington state
2013 Rhode Island, Dela, Minn, New Jersey, Hawaii, New Mexico, Illinois, Calif.
---- and Utah struck down, then stayed.
2014 Okla, Virginia, Texas, Mich, Idaho, Ark. -- full rights, but stayed.
---- Ohio, Kentucky -- partial rights, also stayed.